Thursday, June 17th – Keep Away From Anger.

The word ‘anger’ is just one letter short of ‘danger’. When you loose control you risk loosing other things as well, like the respect of others or the chance to find a constructive solution.

Being angry seems to be a part of living in this world. We live in an age of out-of control law suits, protests, school massacres carried out by children, business place massacres carried out by employees and customers. We’re mad as we can be and we’re not going to take it anymore.

We get angry sometimes because we are pushed by circumstances. Unwelcome circumstances present themselves constantly in our daily lives and we tend to loose control.

We are often forced to deal with situations not of our own making. A man named, Zig Ziglar, says this in dealing with difficult circumstances; “You need to identify the cause of stress. Is it a misunderstanding with a coworker or family member? Is it getting so involved in your responsi- bility that you lose your sense of perspective for the everyday facets of a balanced lifestyle? If so, what can you do about it? First, if it’s a people problem, take time to talk it out. Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes. If you’re wrong, admit it and apologize. You won’t lose face. You’ll gain respect because you have acknowledged that you’re wiser today than you were yesterday. Second, find a pressure release. Take time for yourself, even if is just a few minutes. Some quiet reading, a good walk, some relaxation, or a shift of scenery can work wonders.”

The word of God says “a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” And “a hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.” Sometimes the pressure of life gets us angry because the world equates achievement with happiness. Do more, more, more is the theme of the day and we are finally pushed beyond our limit to complete the required task and in frustration we lash out.

Too many times, that which we cannot control eats at us. Someone said, “Two things a man should never be angry at: what he can help, and what he cannot help.” The feeling that we are not in control of our life weighs heavy on our minds. We dwell on the hurts inflict- ed on us by others-knowing the hurts can’t be undone. Apostle Paul exhorts us to let all bit- terness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from us, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave us. Anger, like joy and gratitude is contagious so keep away from it.